Rhand: Reflection and Remembrance
by Janizary
Summary: Living Steel Quotes in the 'Sidebar' style from the core rules. Ringers, reavers, vissers, oh my. Based on gameplay, OC NPCs, and other madness. No, you probably don't recognize the game. Its out of print.
1. Chapter 1  Blaine

_A/N: For Eddie (Ben Carson), Tim (Max B.), Charles (Merry G.), Matt S. (M. King), and, of course, Ray (Oronov). Entirely too many OSS bases up in flames, but you guys made it work. Just for S&G's here are some Living Steel quotes in the style of the 'side bars'. _

_For everyone else, unless you know Living Steel, you'll be hopelessly lost…in DinoPark! (Trust me, that's a 'bad thing'.)_

_Disclaimer: I own no rights to Living Steel or L.E.G. If I did, well…it would be a different story and you might still be in business you damn eggheads. Max, Ben, Blaine, Oronov, and anyone else mentioned in the quotes are the intellectual property of their respective (and depraved) owners. Please feel free to ridicule them with scorn and disdain._

_Okay, here's a bone. The LS source books had random quotes from famous characters in the sidebars of the core rule book. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious. They were meant to portray a bit the 'feel' of individuals after the Spectral invasion of Rhand. Herein, you will find quotes from actual game-play. 'nuff said._

_On with the show._

_._

**Chapter 1: Blaine (aka Lizard Boy, aka Underwear Commando, aka Speedoman)**

.

Somewhere along the line I got a reputation as a warrior. I seem to remember spending a lot of my time running AWAY from the enemy, not towards them...

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>Last of the Sath z'athra  
>From his death bed, May, 308 PS (Post Separation)<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Sometime ago I read a report that was apparently salvaged from a SCAN facility. The report details the actions of the SCAN facility administrator in trying to recover two "escaped genetic specimens" and one "xenomorph" cadaver. The report goes on to tell how one of the 'genetic specimens' was able to evade and then liquidate not one, but two specialist recovery teams, a grav gunship, and a power armor unit sent to re-capture the missing SCAN property.

The administrator then requests that 'the full attention and resources of SCAN Medical Technologies, Inc., be put in to the field in an effort to regain these extraordinarily dangerous specimens... ', yadda.

Funny, nowhere in the report does it mention I did all of that in my underwear...

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>PS 013

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

You know what the worst part of this whole thing is? There is no one left who understands my jokes...

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>PS 308

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

A few years after 'The Separation' rumors started to spread amongst the Janizary community of whole OSS teams that had gone rogue. In time, in all the cases where this proved true, the OSS teams had been lead by White Swords... Yep, the sterling example of humanity, turned bandit, reaver, newlord, overnight. I suppose it is not entirely their fault...lots of folks had a hard time dealing with The Change. Whites, in particular, (and not a few of my own brethren I should mention) were harshly affected by the new environment. Ever take a snort of ViSR gas? Its worse, much worse...trust me.

One of the last official orders from RMBK/S-1 was to order these rogue units be captured or eliminated by any remaining loyal OSS teams due to the danger they represented to the remaining elements of Operation Seven Swords. Like those remaining teams had either the manpower, or resources, necessary to carry out that task. Once Rhand took the proverbial 'two foot shift to the left' they were having enough problems just keeping their own together and intact.

What about us, the Janizary, you ask? Heh, we are nothing if not efficient. We 'put down' those of our own that showed signs of being affected by The Change first. Then, those of us not attached to other duties were asked to 'volunteer' to aid the Sworders in their efforts to rein in their rogue elements.

'Rein in' they said. I don't think I will ever get the blood off my hands.

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>PS 308

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

The secret to long life you ask? Clean, healthy living, and good Sworder blood...

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>PS 308

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Never, EVER, have a drinking contest with a 'Crest. I did, and look where it got me.

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>Janizary 'First'  
>Day 836<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

There were two times during my life on Rhand in which I have been truly happy. The first was during the years I was hiding out in the Free City of Columbia, around '03. At that time it was the one place on Rhand you could be forgotten and live in peace...I even found a few other 'Firsts', like myself, who had drifted until they also found the city. Don't get me wrong, things were not 'The Days of Wine and Roses' there, but they were a damn sight better then spending every osik waking moment looking over your shoulder wondering who is going to try shooting you next. Between SCAN, the Imperials, the ISS, and whatever other gun slinging nut was wandering the wastelands, you start to get a little jumpy. Cuts into the sleeping time ya' know?

Columbia was, however, the one place I was able to go where who I was and what I could do were taken for what they were worth; I was not only accepted, but valued. What that group of brave people has managed to not only retain, but to build there, was, and still is today, one of the few places where 'humanity' still has virtue. That those who I had once called my 'brothers' and 'sisters' were able to contribute to one, good, lasting item for humanity, I am proud of.

What we became in later years we will be reviled for forever.

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>PS 308

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

The 'Crests? You call them the Dai Shiarn. No, they are not a legend, they are quite real. The dragon men of Shiarn are to the Dai Shiarn as the Jans or the Ael would have been to the 'Firsts' or the Swords, both less and more than they once were.

At least you can stick a good yard of cold steel in to Shiarn and it lays down and dies, proper-like...

Blaine  
>Former Blue Sword DRAGON<br>PS 308

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

I thought about going to the sea for a bit...but I had already had my fill of "Cap'n Ray" from my time with DST Catspaw. There is something very unnerving about a man who has tiny machine gun nests painted on his armour.

Blaine  
>On the Lamb<br>PS '06

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

I have to eat WHAT!

Blaine  
>Blue Sword Dragon<br>Day 84

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

(Blaine) Are you threatening me, Archer? What? Are you going to cut off my next case of 'eyeballs and wait until the pain brings me around? Who the hell do you people think you are? I didn't ask for this...you sonsabitches tricked me into this! You don't own me, you self-righteous lab-rat!

(Archer) Own you, Blaine? We made you...

Janizary Blaine in 'discussion' with General Archer,  
>Janizary 'Firsts' Commander.<br>Day 401

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Vissers? No, I don't hate vissers. In fact, I have been friends with a few very nice vissers. Now Carsonites...I DO hate Carsonites.

Blaine  
>Wandering Gunslinger &amp; Sword for Hire<br>PS 98

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Garlic? Where do they get this stuff?

Blaine  
>Running from ignorant villagers<br>PS 206

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Don't give me Neutron weapons. I will use them.

Blaine  
>Lizard Boy on the run<br>Hardened Storage A23, SCAN MATRIX facility  
>Day 503<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Oops...Sorry fella's. Didn't mean to let that slime- covered 'Stalker on the loose in your nice facility. Really, I didn't.

Blaine  
>Lizard Boy ignoring the 'do not touch' signs<br>Genetic Specimen Holding, SCAN MATRIX facility  
>Day 503<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

I hate scent trackers. You think someone would have mentioned that in the 'you missed 150 years of tech' briefing. Oh yeah, we didn't have one of those.

Blaine  
>Mostly nekkid escaped lab specimen<br>Somewhere west of MATRIX being trailed by SCAN hunter group  
>Day 504<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

**.**

_Endnote: More to follow: OSS Ringers, Random Rhand Citizens, Pirates of the Scanish Main, Blunder and Outtakes, etc._

_Remember, I'm a reader. This is just for fun._


	2. Chapter 2  Ringers and Reavers

_A/N: Hey, Blaine's had a lot to say (or his mouth just might not stop moving…it's all a matter of perspective). This chapter: Ringers and Reavers_

_Ringer: OSS (Operation Seven Sword) Ops Team members. Or you can call them zombies, re-lifed, frozen soldiers (just add water), antiques (if you're brave), etc._

_Reaver: Bad guys…the really, really BAD GUYS. Major vissers, Newlords, turned Swords, etc. The one requirement is you are one mean mamma-jamma (to quote the gecko)_

_Again, Living Steel/Rhand:2349 (look it up)_

_Disclaimer: I own no rights to Living Steel or L.E.G. If I did, I'd put it in PDF and give it out for free so more people could enjoy this obscure, but fantastic, game. Max, Ben, Blaine, Vladamir, Malcolm, and anyone else mentioned in the quotes are the intellectual property of their respective (or deprave) owners. Please feel free to ridicule them with scorn and disdain. Credit to Ray for select quotes in this chapter. You know which ones._

_Act II, stage left…_

**_._**

**Chapter 2: Ringers and Reavers**

**.**

He who has the last bullet gets the last laugh...

Jaric  
>Black Sword DRAGON turned Reaver<br>Day 611

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

My supply of guns is running low. I must kill someone...

Jaric  
>Black Sword DRAGON turned Reaver<br>Day 622

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

For almost two years after APOCALYPSE we had it pretty rough. Food shortages, ViSRs, Newlords, Lizard Boys...not to mention the occasional SFMF or Spectral infestation. When RMBK set off the NANO warhead we thought things would get better since the 'black-skins' would not longer have their technical staff. How wrong we were...

We thought that they could not develop or maintain their own tech. Looking back at things now we can only assume that they had either just not applied themselves to the task, or perhaps thought themselves above it. It only took a few months after the Trank died off for us to realize the folly of our actions. When the 'Stalkers ran out of hardware, they started churning out bio-weapons.

We had heard stories from the now-lost teams on Aquila of unstoppable creatures that came in the night. We all believed that those teams were taken by Slozek FRK commando teams. There were a few Striker teams sent to investigate, but after several were lost with no word, S2 stopped the missions and we had no further word from the Southern Continent, in effect we ceded it to the enemy to hold what we had.

Now we know they were telling the truth...

Looking back on what transpired, we can only hazard a guess as to what happened. I have spoken with several cells since the time of The Separation, even spoken with a few Janizary holdings. No one left seems to know the truth. I know from the missives from our S2 contact that Command was working on a special project based on DRGN technology, whether it was intended as a shield or a weapon, I cannot even begin to speculate. Whatever it was supposed to do, the scientists could not have expected the results.

It has now been 2 years since The Separation, almost 5 since APOCALYPSE. We thought things were bad on Day 60... How wrong we were.

Thomen  
>Gold Sword DRAGON<br>Day 2,154

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

I'm going hunting. Someone give Oronov the keys.

Commander Malcolm King  
>Black Sword DRAGON<br>Former Gold Sword commander of OSS63  
>Day 64<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Anyone seen Ben lately? Okay...that was a stupid question.

A. Cross  
>Blue Sword TARGA<br>OSS63  
>Day 92<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

What a cluster. The Colonel called us back down into the bunker to 'conference' and left Ulman up top to watch the Alphas. Yeah, that was a brilliant idea. They already hated Ulman for what happened shortly after Alpha drop. I found out later that the "Law Enforcement" specialist—the one Petrie and Werner had roughed up—was actually an RMBK agent dropped in with the Alphas to liaise with the team.

Short story, they took out Ulman, rolled up the fuel drums and poured them down the tunnel leading to the bunker. Two out of nine of us made it out. The rest died in the flames. Celeste and I were lucky, I guess. Our 'Doppler cell' enhancement is pretty high, so just about everything healed up.

What happened to the Alphas and the RMBK agent? Last I heard they surrendered to the ISS Support Brigade and were held at the Northern Thosten Irrigation Control Plant. Even with ORCA no one was going to try to get them out of there. No way.

Jonas 'Corky' Abrams  
>Green Sword TARGA<br>Formerly of OSS14

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Yeah, truth be told it was not his penchant for…what... _(sigh) _ok… Yarrgg! It be true matey that his hands were as red with blood as any salty soulless swabbie but it was his total disregard for the Dress code that made me want his hide ashore. We have standards here on the SCANish Main and there be no banana hammocks as regulation deckwear. And beyond that you lubbers an eye patch be no substitute

Cap'n Ray  
>Scourge of the Elandian Littoral<br>Pirate King of the SCANish Brotherhood  
>Defender of the Faith (take your daily pick)<br>When discussing Blaine with certain bounty hunters

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Lab rat, tube child , bastard...yeah he called me them all and some I had to break open the Human/'Crest dictionary. But, damn it, I was his superior officer and he had to have orders! Wilders were a bad idea and will be the death of this program; but its not my call anymore, I quit. Come on guys grav vehicles and gauss guns all around lets start the party...

Quentin Archer  
>Former Colonel of the 7SW<br>Former Bashar of the Jannissary Corps  
>When asked about Blaine shortly before the siege of Summit<p>

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Look around, _Commander_. What do you see? Monsters? Madmen? No, you see families; you see children playing; you see a working tribe. Go away, Chief. I don't take orders from you anymore.

Max B.  
>Blue Sword DRAGON Black Ops<br>Day 412

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

I've been stabbed, shot, sliced, pummeled, blown up, thrown off a cliff, run over by a truck, burned, electrocuted, and had part of my arm eaten by a SFMF. Someone once cracked my skull with a HLMG, and I've even had a GRAV APC 'land' on me. Okay, it was a near miss, but it still hurt.

I've lead raids into Aquila, crushed the throats of Slozek with my bare hands, tussled with a spectral or two, and led the 'Line into more fiery hell than I care to remember.

I'd think at this point my 'bravery' would not be at question.

That said, I'm not going to that damn Island.

Merry  
>Former Red Sword TARGA<br>Consort to the Prophet  
>Referring to the site of the RMBK weapon deployment responsible for "The Separation"<br>PS 04

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Sleep is overrated.

Ben Carson  
>Blue Sword DRAGON Infiltrator<br>Day 67

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

Let him contemplate this on the Tree of Woe. Crucify him.

_Turning aside to his henchmen, a wicked smile upon his face_

I've ALWAYS wanted to say that!

His Holiness Jameston Halloran  
>Seer of Light of Truth<br>Protector of the Holy Flame  
>Sometimes cannibal<br>Overall nasty reaver  
>PS 01<p>

.

**~LS~LS~LS~LS~LS~**

****.****

_Endnote: Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental (its in the future...). Any references to Thulsa Doom are circa the 1980s and are merely kudos to an awesome movie line. _

_Have more quotes. Need to go find them. They might (shudders at the thought) even be written on (cover your children's ears) PAPER. Curious thing, paper, it existed before the intrawebs. I know! Heresey! Infidel defilers! They shall all drown in lakes of blood! _

_Oops. There I go again, backsliding into the 80s. I'm cold, and there's wolves chasing me._


End file.
